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Photos courtesy John Schoen Mary Beth Schoen admires a large-tree old-growth stand in Saook Bay on northeastern Baranof Island. Some individual trees were over 6 feet in diameter and many centuries old. This riparian area was adjacent to a salmon stream and was full of bear trails. Large-tree old growth stands are rare on the Tongass.

Life

‘Tongass Odyssey’ explores decades of research, politics and change

‘What we learned is that old growth forest is very important’

Brie and caramel apple voulevant is sure to be a crowd-pleaser, photographed in April, 2021, in Nikiski, Alaska. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)

Life

On the strawberry patch: A celebration of food

Make first gatherings special with this simple but sophisticated brie and caramel apple voulevant.

Alex Koplin is a founding member of Kenai Peninsula Votes. (courtesy photo)

Opinion

Voices of the Peninsula: What’s in a number?

The more we promote the importance of voting, the more we improve our civic health.

Alaska State Troopers logo.

News

Police reports for the week of May 2, 2021

Information for this report was taken from publicly available law enforcement records and contains arrest and citation information.…

The MV Matanuska awaits repairs at the Auke Bay Ferry Terminal on Thursday as lawmakers at the state Capitol debated whether the Alaska Marine Highway System was actually a highway. A bill that would shape long-term planning for the system passed out of committee. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)

Opinion

Opinion: The feigning champions of the ferry system

Token improvements aren’t anything to brag about.

The entrance to the Kenai Courthouse in Kenai, Alaska, as seen on Feb. 26, 2019. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)

News

Court reports for the week of May 2, 2021

The following dismissals were recently handed down in Kenai District Court.

Will Morrow (courtesy)

Life

When did I get wise?

When did I turn into that old guy who feels like he has to give everyone else advice?

Large flocks of Pacific brant depend on a few key areas, especially Izembek Lagoon. (Photo by Heather Wilson/USFWS)

Sports

Refuge Notebook: The outlook for Pacific brant

After a multiweek weather delay, Biologist/Pilot Heather Wilson and I took off from Kenai just before noon, Jan.…

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, center, listens as residents discuss a levee they have concerns with on Thursday, April 22, 2021, in Hyder, Alaska. Hyder was among the southeast Alaska communities that Dunleavy visited as part of a one-day trip. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)

News

Governor’s travel signals move to return to normalcy

Dunleavy visited the three Southeast Alaska communities in one day last week.

Air Force veteran and MST coordinator Suzanna McClendon (Photo courtesy Alaska VA Healthcare System)

Opinion

Alaska Voices: Vets dealing with military sexual trauma, you are not alone

Sexual assault and sexual harassment can be many things.

In this Feb. 23, 2021 file photo, U.S. Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, speaks during the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. Young announced Wednesday, April 27, 2021, that he will seek re-election to the seat he has held since 1973. (Graeme Jennings/Washington Examiner via AP, Pool_

News

Young announces reelection plans

Young, 87, is the longest-serving Republican in the U.S. House.

Photo by McKibben Jackinsky A crankie provides settings for artist Emily Schubert’s puppetry, as seen on April 17 at Bunnell Street Arts Center in Homer.

Life

Visiting artist creates ‘multi-potentialities’ in art

Schubert’s work includes sculptural ‘rooms’ that tell stories

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Opinion

Opinion: 3 questions about ending America’s ‘Forever War’

Every American should ask themselves three questions

This photo taken in October 2017 shows author Kat Sorensen with the first fish she ever caught using a fly rod! (Photo courtesy of Kat Sorensen)

Sports

Tangled Up in Blue: Throwbacks

There’s still a box of fancy heels and short, summer dresses wasting away in my parents’ basement right…

Kelly Tshibaka addresses members of the community at Nikiski Hardware & Supply on Friday, April 9, 2021 in Nikiski, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

News

Tshibaka shadowed by election post and anti-gay article

Many of the articles, blogs and posts have been deleted but some are available through archived internet pages.

A glass of refreshing lemonade officially welcomes the summer season, photographed on Tuesday, April 27, 2021, in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)

Life

Kalifornsky Kitchen: When life gives you lemons …

Among the chaos and uncertainty 2020 and 2021 brought me, this column was one of the only consistent…

The U.S. Flag and Alaska state flag fly on the roof of the Alaska State Capitol on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

Opinion

Opinion: Alaska needs to clearly define consent

House Bill 5 would do that.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, center, meets with people near an outdoor COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Hyder, Alaska, on Thursday, April 22, 2021. Dunleavy said Alaska is in a fortunate position with its vaccine supply and he wants to share vaccines with people across the border in Stewart, British Columbia, a community that has close ties to Hyder. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)

News

Dunleavy shares vaccine with Canada

Dunleavy said he invited the state’s chief medical officer “on the spur of the moment” to accompany him.

In this Jan. 27, 2021 file photo, Alaska state Sen. Lora Reinbold, an Eagle River Republican, holds a copy of the Alaska Constitution during a committee hearing in Juneau, Alaska. Alaska Airlines has banned the Alaska state senator for refusing to follow mask requirements. Last week Reinbold was recorded in Juneau International Airport arguing with Alaska Airlines staff about mask policies. A video posted to social media appears to show airline staff telling Reinbold her mask must cover her nose and mouth. Reinbold has been a vocal opponent to COVID-19 mitigation measures and has repeatedly objected to Alaska Airlines’ mask policy, which was enacted before the federal government’s mandate this year. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer, File)

News

State Sen. Reinbold drives, takes ferry after airline suspension

Reinbold said she had a “new appreciation” for the state ferry system.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy shakes hands with Rear Adm. Matthew T. Bell Jr. during a Change of Command and retirement ceremony Friday, April 23, 2021 at Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

Opinion

Opinion: New Coast Guard cutters belong in Southeast Alaska

Let’s bring all hands on deck and get to work.